Minimum age of 14 to enter parks alone: Starts March 23rd

It can't hurt, but as stated in the article, they will have no way of really knowing the ages-- unless they have it encoded in the pass-- which still could be misinformation given at the time of purchase--or unless the kid is like 8--
 
I personally think that the policy should be based on the age that adult tickets are required. Bottom line is if someone has to pay the adult price, they should be treated as an adult.

So I see two viable options, lower the minimum age to match the current ticket policy or raise the child ticket age limit to 13 and under.

I can honestly envision some lawsuits if they don't match. I don't know who would win, but they cost money to defend, which in turn raises prices for everyone.

I can also see some issues, say that a 13 year old is at Disneyland with Mom and Dad. Mom decides to go DCA and Dad stays at DL. Now Dad has to leave to go to work, so the kid wants to join Mom, does that mean that Mom must now leave the park to come get the 13 year old, who is perfectly capable of switching parks?

Or what if this same group needs a locker and all of the lockers inside the parks are full (happens a lot during the summer). Now, lets say Mom and Dad have mobility issues or get hurt and are in first aid, but the kid needs to get something out of the locker. What happens in cases like this?

I can see this causing a lot more problems than just these. Additionally, I know many 14 year olds that shouldn't be left on their own and many 9 year olds tht would be perfectly fine.
 
I can honestly envision some lawsuits if they don't match. I don't know who would win, but they cost money to defend, which in turn raises prices for everyone.

Disney would win, it would be a frivolous suit.

Disney can set ticket prices where ever they like, they could even charge more for a child's ticket than an adult ticket if they wish.

Or, they could simply charge the same for all tickets without regard to age. That is exactly what they've done with annual passes.

Ticket pricing has nothing to do with at what age a minor can enter the park unaccompanied.
 


Disney would win, it would be a frivolous suit.

Disney can set ticket prices where ever they like, they could even charge more for a child's ticket than an adult ticket if they wish.

Or, they could simply charge the same for all tickets without regard to age. That is exactly what they've done with annual passes.

Ticket pricing has nothing to do with at what age a minor can enter the park unaccompanied.

I don't think it would be (see my perfectly legitimate examples of problems that could happen) and as I said, even if they win, they cost a lot to defend.
 
I don't think it would be (see my perfectly legitimate examples of problems that could happen) and as I said, even if they win, they cost a lot to defend.

The loser could be ordered to pay the legal fees for the winner, costing Disney nothing.
 
The loser could be ordered to pay the legal fees for the winner, costing Disney nothing.

That rarely happens in the U.S., unless the courts consider it completely frivolous and in this situation I could see legitimate legal arguments being made, making it not frivolous, but still might not hold up.
 


i can see why some children would need an adult with them. disney should not be required to baby sit.;) and i have seen some parents leave the little ones to fin for themselves and the cms have to watch and some times help.

i do think it appropriate for the ticket price to be less if there are two people required. :confused3 if two people rent a hotel room together, the price is cheaper. if one person rents the room alone they must pay more. makes sense to me.

at age 14 my grandson and his friend knew every inch of disney and could manage to route the best and most efficient transportation from one location to the next and even be able to meet us for dinner on time. i admit that we did insist that there be more than one of them (not be alone) and that they prove that they would behave respectful of disney property, employees and other guests. we would some times watch from a distance.:thumbsup2
 
I personally think that the policy should be based on the age that adult tickets are required. Bottom line is if someone has to pay the adult price, they should be treated as an adult.

So I see two viable options, lower the minimum age to match the current ticket policy or raise the child ticket age limit to 13 and under.

I can honestly envision some lawsuits if they don't match. I don't know who would win, but they cost money to defend, which in turn raises prices for everyone.

I can also see some issues, say that a 13 year old is at Disneyland with Mom and Dad. Mom decides to go DCA and Dad stays at DL. Now Dad has to leave to go to work, so the kid wants to join Mom, does that mean that Mom must now leave the park to come get the 13 year old, who is perfectly capable of switching parks?

Or what if this same group needs a locker and all of the lockers inside the parks are full (happens a lot during the summer). Now, lets say Mom and Dad have mobility issues or get hurt and are in first aid, but the kid needs to get something out of the locker. What happens in cases like this?

I can see this causing a lot more problems than just these. Additionally, I know many 14 year olds that shouldn't be left on their own and many 9 year olds tht would be perfectly fine.

Sounds like a great idea, so long as they change all the E ticket rides from a height restriction to an age restriction of over 14 years old
 
The restriction on Fast rides has to do with the safety devices fitting properly and age has nothing to do with that. My kids will be 15 or older before they are allowed at Disney alone.
 
That rarely happens in the U.S., unless the courts consider it completely frivolous and in this situation I could see legitimate legal arguments being made, making it not frivolous, but still might not hold up.

Disney is private property. Disney is entitled to set age rules. Do you know of any federal or Florida law which specifically prohibits Disneys new policy? Baring such a rule/law the suit would be thrown out. Might even be considered frivolous. Your contrived examples aren't legal reasons why the policy is illegal. You list some cases where it might not be convenient. There is a federal law prohibiting age discrimination in employment with respect to employees age 40 and over. What law do you think Disney is violating?

Wasn't there an issue in California with kids with SPs using Disney asr after school day care / activity?

I suspect enforcement will be spoty.

Many hotels won't rent a room to a guest under 21. Many dinner shows include adult beverages. Guests under 21 aren't always charged a lower price. Many malls have age limits.
 
Its really a bit much. The parks are super safe. There are many kids thats are totally capable of jumping on Disney Transport and going to a park without their parents when they want to do something a bit different than the family.
 
I think there's a big difference between "entering alone" and "being on their own inside the park". I had no problem letting my 13 & 10 year old wander the parks by themselves, but we were also brought them to the park and were in the parks also. It's not like we told them to just go jump on the bus and go by themselves. Although, now that the oldest will be 16 I would have no problem letting her go by herself.
 
I think it is perfectly reasonable and well within their right. No matter how well behaved your kids are with you, that is not necessarily a reflection of how they will be on their own. Disney cannot be responsible for the liability of non adults running around the park. Further, it would potentially disturb other guests.

When people bristle at these rules, their immediate thought goes to "but my kids..." If that's too difficult for you to wrap your brain around, spend another moment thinking about the worst kids you've encountered from another family. If that doesn't work, just think of it this way - Disney wants your kids to have a safe experience, and they know that the best people to assure that are their parents.
 
I never realized that there wasn't a minimum age for entry, and think it's entirely appropriate. I know it will be embarrassing for those over 14 who are questioned about their age, but think that's outwieghed by the benefits of increased supervision.
I'm always amazed that parents who say "but my kids..." don't realize that when they're not around, their kids may be "the worst kids you've encountered from another family." I've seen the difference in kids' behavior between when their parents are around, and when they aren't, and it's not always pretty.
Of course, I can anticipate that there will be kids hanging around outside the gates and slipstreaming in with a large group.
 
I think it is perfectly reasonable and well within their right. No matter how well behaved your kids are with you, that is not necessarily a reflection of how they will be on their own. Disney cannot be responsible for the liability of non adults running around the park. Further, it would potentially disturb other guests.

When people bristle at these rules, their immediate thought goes to "but my kids..." If that's too difficult for you to wrap your brain around, spend another moment thinking about the worst kids you've encountered from another family. If that doesn't work, just think of it this way - Disney wants your kids to have a safe experience, and they know that the best people to assure that are their parents.

I agree with you; however I do think tickets should be priced based on these rules. If someone is old enough to need an adult ticket, then they are old enough to be treated as an adult. I don't think Disney gets to say 9 and older need an adult ticket, but you have to be 14 before we treat you like an adult. All that I am saying is that there needs to be consistency between the policies.
 
I agree with you; however I do think tickets should be priced based on these rules. If someone is old enough to need an adult ticket, then they are old enough to be treated as an adult. I don't think Disney gets to say 9 and older need an adult ticket, but you have to be 14 before we treat you like an adult. All that I am saying is that there needs to be consistency between the policies.

Do you still think people who don't like this policy have grounds to sue? By that I mean have a reasonable expectation of winning?

Apples and oranges. You can vote at age 18 but you can't drink until you're 21. You need to be 21 to book a room in Las Vegas but hotels in Las Vegas generally count every person in the room, including infants, when computing room rate.

Disney doesn't even have to offer a lower admission price for kids. The age in which Disney no longer offers a discount has nothing to do with the minimum age for admission without an adult.

Some dinner shows include adult beverages. Frequently they'll charge the adult price for people over the age for kids pricing which is less then 21.

edited to add--Some water parks offer discounted admission based on the height, not age, of the customers. Tall enough to ride most of the thrill attractions and you'll pay the adult price. That sounds fair to me. I don't know why being allowed to enter the park without an adult should have anything to do with what you pay.
 
Disney's park, their property, their rules. Like it or not they're not breaking any laws, no one is being descriminated nor wronged. What are the damges?
 
Do you still think people who don't like this policy have grounds to sue? By that I mean have a reasonable expectation of winning?

Apples and oranges. You can vote at age 18 but you can't drink until you're 21. You need to be 21 to book a room in Las Vegas but hotels in Las Vegas generally count every person in the room, including infants, when computing room rate.

Disney doesn't even have to offer a lower admission price for kids. The age in which Disney no longer offers a discount has nothing to do with the minimum age for admission without an adult.

Some dinner shows include adult beverages. Frequently they'll charge the adult price for people over the age for kids pricing which is less then 21.

edited to add--Some water parks offer discounted admission based on the height, not age, of the customers. Tall enough to ride most of the thrill attractions and you'll pay the adult price. That sounds fair to me. I don't know why being allowed to enter the park without an adult should have anything to do with what you pay.

I think that someone would have a slim chance of winning. I never said I thought they would win against Disney. I did say that Disney would most likely be footing the bill for their defense, as I could see it not being considered a frivolous lawsuit. This costs money, which then in turn costs us more money in higher prices.

I can also see situations that will need to be accommodated, such as a 10 year old who came with Mom. Mom gets hurt in the park somehow. There is a locker rented outside the park and the kid needs to get something out of it (perhaps something medically necessary an they didn't know First Aid would hold it for them) and bring it to Mom. If this isn't accommodated, then I think that the lawsuit would be successful.

As for other parks using heights, their policy is usually to allow anyone over the required height to enter without anyone older/taller.
 

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